How To Make The Best Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

The iconic sandwich

The Philly cheesesteak has a lot of history and variations since its first creation in 1930. There is just something timeless and iconic about the sandwich! With its soft Hoagie roll full of steak, flavorful onions, and dripping cheese—it’s easy to see why it’s an American classic.

Popular variation

A popular variation on the traditional Philly Cheese steak includes bell peppers. It is not a traditional recipe, but it’s still really good! I personally love bell peppers, but they’re not for everyone. If you don’t like bell peppers, or want to be a traditionalist, then simply don’t include them.

Pointers on the best Philly cheese steak:

• Something that I do is I brown the beef before putting it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. It adds an extra crispy brown crust to the beef!
• Don’t add your vegetables in until the final hour of cooking. The vegetables will overcook and that means they will do nothing but become soupy in the pan. We still want to be able to taste the vegetables and their texture in this recipe. Another option is stir-frying to vegetables quickly just before you add them on top of everything else. Ultimately, it just depends on what you prefer as far as texture, crunch, and flavor.
• While you don’t need to dip to enjoy, this sandwich is definitely delicious to dip. Half of people who enjoy the Philly cheese steak tend to lean towards dipping it in the sauces this dish creates.
• Cheese Whiz is a popular cheese to use in the recipe. However, if you can’t or won’t do processed, then I recommend using provolone. Something you can do to add some extra flavor, plus help with melting, is dip your cheese in the drippings from the meat in this recipe. You have to do it quickly or it will melt into the pan, so use tongs and quickly add to your sandwich.
• Butter and toast your bread before assembling your sandwich. Trust me on this one. Your tastebuds will thank me!

CHOOSING YOUR MEAT

There are many different types of meat you can use to make a Philly cheese steak. Traditionally, ribeye is recommended for home preparation. Ribeye, however, can carry a price tag. Beyond the ribeye, you may read or hear about using top round. For this recipe, however, I use sirloin but sliced thin. Sirloin has the perfect amount of fat to compliment this dish and cook itself. You’ll also see that it cooks really well in the Instant Pot and is so tender, juicy, and irresistible.

REMEMBER…

• Whatever meat you choose, it needs to be sliced thin to qualify as Philly cheese steak meat. No chunks!
• Be sure your meat is capable of being tender. You do not want tough meat in a Philly cheese steak.
• Fat on the meat is good! It helps the meat become tender and juicy as it cooks since it cooks in its own fat.

THE CHEESE DEBATE

Traditionally, the Philly cheesesteak is a Hoagie roll full of a thin sliced beef and a melted cheese combo. You may be surprised to hear that cheese is a long-standing dispute when it comes to this sandwich. There is Team Provolone, Team American cheese, and Team Cheese Whiz. There really is no right answer if you ask me. I say, you do you. It’s up to you! Other than cheese, you can add whatever else you may like, but you’ll see onions, mushrooms, and peppers are super common add-ins.

SIDES AND TOPPINGS

You will often see Philly cheese steaks served in similar ways as you may see hotdogs or hamburgers served. Common sides you will see to a Philly cheese steak are chips, fries, onion rings, and so on. I am personally a big fan of seasoned French fries when it comes to a side for this sandwich.

As far as toppings, you do not have to go the traditional route. Your toppings on this sandwich should be things you enjoy. You can dress it up like any sub sandwich if you like. Some ideas might be things like pickles, steak sauce, tomatoes, and pepperoncini. For the sake of this recipe, I used a well-loved combo of onions, bell pepper, and provolone. I also recommend having a sauce or using the dripping for dipping.

As mentioned in my tips for this recipe, I toast my Hoagie roll for this recipe. The way I do this is I slice my rolls in half, butter them, and broil in the oven. I cannot recommend this step enough, because toasted bread in dealing with juicy meats adds a nice protective layer so your bread does not get icky. You can also dip your cheese in the juices from the pan and then lay to toast on the bread for an extra scrumptious step.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SANDWICHES

Chuck roast

Olive oil

French onion soup

Beef broth

Worcestershire

Dark beer

Bell pepper

Provolone cheese 

Hoagie rolls

Salt and pepper

HOW TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SANDWICHES

FIRST STEP:

Begin by heating the oil in a cast iron pan on high.

Sprinkle the entire roast in salt and pepper. Add the roast to the oiled pan and brown sear all sides. Each side should take 3-4 minutes.

SECOND STEP:

In the Instant Pot, add the Worcestershire, beer, French onion, and beef broth. Stir.

THIRD STEP:

Next, add the roast to the Instant Pot. Cook the meat on high for about 6 hours.

In the final hour of cooking, add your peppers and onions to the Instant Pot.

FOURTH STEP:

When the roast is finished, toast your Hoagie rolls with some butter in the oven.

Once you have your buns toasted, take the meat from the pan and cut.

FIFTH STEP:

Add the meat to the toasted hoagie followed by the veggies and cheese.

Enjoy!